Trivante Stewart faces new Serie A challenge

SALERNO, Italy (AP):

JAMAICAN STRIKER Trivante Stewart will have some more adjusting to do in the Italian Serie A after the announcement that his club, Salernitana, hired Filippo Inzaghi as new coach.

Stewart earned the first Serie A appearance for a Jamaican two weeks ago and this weekend upped his game time from 10 minutes to 30.

Reggae Boyz coach Heimir Hallgrimsson had said he was watching the 23-year-old progress with interest but now Stewart will have to try to grab the eye of Inzhagi, after the club had fired Pauolo Sousa.

Salernitana lost 3-0 at Monza on Sunday for their third straight defeat without scoring a goal. They have only three points from three draws in eight matches and sit just above bottom club Cagliari.

Inzaghi’s first match in charge will be against Cagliari after the international break.

The 50-year-old Inzaghi, older brother of Inter Milan coach Simone Inzhagi, has been out of work since leaving Reggina in the offseason after the club was excluded from Serie B because of financial irregularities. He had led them into the promotion playoffs last season.

Inzaghi last coached in the Italian top flight in the 2020-21 season but failed to avoid relegation with Benevento –which he had led to promotion the previous year – and left at the end of the campaign.

Inzaghi started his managerial career at AC Milan after being promoted from youth team coach in 2014 but was fired at the end of the season. He has also coached Venezia, Bologna and Brescia.

Inzaghi had a glittering 11-year playing career at Milan, winning two Serie A titles – to add to the one he won at Juventus – and two Champions League trophies. He also won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.